Apple Unveils Faster, More Affordable PowerBooks
As expected, Apple Computer today unveiled faster, more affordable PowerBooks, featuring PowerPC G4 processors running up to 1.67 GHz, faster hard drives and a faster 8X SuperDriveÂ?all housed in the PowerBook's signature aluminum enclosure. All new PowerBooks come standard with 512MB memory, faster graphics, integrated AirPort 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0 wireless networking and two new Apple patent-pending technologiesÂ?the scrolling TrackPad and the Sudden Motion Sensor.
"Apple continues to lead the industry with the most innovative notebooks," said Philip Schiller, AppleÂ?s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With new features like the scrolling TrackPad and Sudden Motion Sensor, the new PowerBooks are the ultimate combination of performance and portability."
Designed for creative and business professionals, the new PowerBooks introduce AppleÂ?s patent-pending scrolling TrackPad that works with every application and document, so users can easily scroll through long web pages or across large photographs. Simply touch the trackpad with two fingers instead of one to quickly scroll or pan within the window. Every PowerBook also includes AppleÂ?s patent-pending Sudden Motion Sensor technology which integrates a tri-axis accelerometer to help protect a spinning hard drive if the notebook is accidentally dropped. AppleÂ?s backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors for working in low-light conditions is now built in to all 15- and 17-inch PowerBooks and is up to 10 times brighter than before.
The new PowerBooks deliver increased performance with both the 15- and 17-inch PowerBook models offering up to 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 processors and industry-leading ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processors with 64MB or 128MB of graphics memory. All models now include 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM and faster 5400 rpm hard drives for demanding professional applications. The 17-inch PowerBook now features Dual Link support to drive AppleÂ?s breakthrough 30-inch Cinema HD Display as an external monitor, and this feature is also available as a build-to-order option on the 1.67 GHz model of the 15-inch PowerBook.
Every PowerBook now includes built-in AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking. Apple is the first notebook maker to include integrated Bluetooth 2.0 (Enhanced Data Rate) for up to three times greater data rates, up to 3 Mbps, for faster wireless connectivity to a range of peripherals including cell phones, PDAs, printers and headsets. Bluetooth 2.0 is also compatible with Bluetooth 1.2 devices such as the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse. Â*
Every PowerBook now includes iLife Â?05, AppleÂ?s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications. iLife Â?05 is an innovative and comprehensive suite of software for organizing, editing and sharing digital photos; creating digital movies and DVDs; and purchasing, managing and creating digital music. iLife Â?05 includes iTunes 4.7.1, Apple's digital music jukebox software with the iTunes Music Store inside. iTunes provides seamless integration with AppleÂ?s complete family of popular iPods, including the new iPod shuffle. iLife Â?05 also includes iPhoto 5 for organizing and sharing digital photos; iMovie HD for digital HD-quality movie-making; iDVD 5 for creating and burning Hollywood-style DVDs; and GarageBand 2, the music application that turns the Mac into a professional-quality musical instrument and recording studio.
Mac OS X version 10.3 Â?PantherÂ? is pre-installed on every PowerBook and delivers features such as iChat AV desktop video conferencing, Mail, Safari web browser, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iSync, iCal and DVD Player. Panther also features FileVault, which uses the latest security standards and 128-bit encryption technology to ensure that data in the home directory is kept secure; Instant On, which wakes the PowerBook from sleep in just one second; and Automatic Networking, which automatically switches the network connections between Ethernet, 802.11 and modem. Â*
The new 12-,15- and 17-inch PowerBook models will be available later this week through The Apple Store, at AppleÂ?s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The 1.67 GHz, 17-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $2,699 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;a 100GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 128MB video memory;DVI (Dual Link for 30-inch support), VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire® 400 and 800;optical digital audio input and output;a scrolling TrackPad; andilluminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.67 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $2,299 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory with Dual Link DVI functionality;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;a scrolling TrackPad; andilluminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.5 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes: Â*
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open memory slot, expandable up to 2GB;an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;a scrolling TrackPad; andilluminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; anda scrolling TrackPad.
The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;a 60GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; anda scrolling TrackPad.
Additional build-to-order options for the new PowerBook line include up to 1.25GB DDR RAM on the 12-inch model and up to 2GB on the 15- and 17-inch models, an 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive, 128MB graphics memory with Dual Link DVIÂ*on the 1.67 GHz 15-inch (for enabling the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display as an external monitor), a 100GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive running at 5400 rpm on all models, AirPort Extreme or Express Base Station, Apple displays and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
"Apple continues to lead the industry with the most innovative notebooks," said Philip Schiller, AppleÂ?s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With new features like the scrolling TrackPad and Sudden Motion Sensor, the new PowerBooks are the ultimate combination of performance and portability."
Designed for creative and business professionals, the new PowerBooks introduce AppleÂ?s patent-pending scrolling TrackPad that works with every application and document, so users can easily scroll through long web pages or across large photographs. Simply touch the trackpad with two fingers instead of one to quickly scroll or pan within the window. Every PowerBook also includes AppleÂ?s patent-pending Sudden Motion Sensor technology which integrates a tri-axis accelerometer to help protect a spinning hard drive if the notebook is accidentally dropped. AppleÂ?s backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors for working in low-light conditions is now built in to all 15- and 17-inch PowerBooks and is up to 10 times brighter than before.
The new PowerBooks deliver increased performance with both the 15- and 17-inch PowerBook models offering up to 1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 processors and industry-leading ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics processors with 64MB or 128MB of graphics memory. All models now include 512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM and faster 5400 rpm hard drives for demanding professional applications. The 17-inch PowerBook now features Dual Link support to drive AppleÂ?s breakthrough 30-inch Cinema HD Display as an external monitor, and this feature is also available as a build-to-order option on the 1.67 GHz model of the 15-inch PowerBook.
Every PowerBook now includes built-in AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking. Apple is the first notebook maker to include integrated Bluetooth 2.0 (Enhanced Data Rate) for up to three times greater data rates, up to 3 Mbps, for faster wireless connectivity to a range of peripherals including cell phones, PDAs, printers and headsets. Bluetooth 2.0 is also compatible with Bluetooth 1.2 devices such as the Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse. Â*
Every PowerBook now includes iLife Â?05, AppleÂ?s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications. iLife Â?05 is an innovative and comprehensive suite of software for organizing, editing and sharing digital photos; creating digital movies and DVDs; and purchasing, managing and creating digital music. iLife Â?05 includes iTunes 4.7.1, Apple's digital music jukebox software with the iTunes Music Store inside. iTunes provides seamless integration with AppleÂ?s complete family of popular iPods, including the new iPod shuffle. iLife Â?05 also includes iPhoto 5 for organizing and sharing digital photos; iMovie HD for digital HD-quality movie-making; iDVD 5 for creating and burning Hollywood-style DVDs; and GarageBand 2, the music application that turns the Mac into a professional-quality musical instrument and recording studio.
Mac OS X version 10.3 Â?PantherÂ? is pre-installed on every PowerBook and delivers features such as iChat AV desktop video conferencing, Mail, Safari web browser, Sherlock, Address Book, QuickTime, iSync, iCal and DVD Player. Panther also features FileVault, which uses the latest security standards and 128-bit encryption technology to ensure that data in the home directory is kept secure; Instant On, which wakes the PowerBook from sleep in just one second; and Automatic Networking, which automatically switches the network connections between Ethernet, 802.11 and modem. Â*
The new 12-,15- and 17-inch PowerBook models will be available later this week through The Apple Store, at AppleÂ?s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The 1.67 GHz, 17-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $2,699 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;a 100GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 128MB video memory;DVI (Dual Link for 30-inch support), VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire® 400 and 800;optical digital audio input and output;a scrolling TrackPad; andilluminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.67 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $2,299 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open slot, expandable up to 2GB;an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive and Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory with Dual Link DVI functionality;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;a scrolling TrackPad; andilluminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.5 GHz, 15-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes: Â*
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, with one open memory slot, expandable up to 2GB;an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 graphics with 64MB video memory;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000BASE-T) and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800;a scrolling TrackPad; andilluminated keyboard with ambient light sensor.
The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;an 80GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; anda scrolling TrackPad.
The 1.5 GHz, 12-inch PowerBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:
\t512MB of 333 MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable up to 1.25GB;a 60GB (5400 rpm) Ultra ATA/100 hard drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;a slot-load Combo (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) optical drive;NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 graphics with 64MB of video memory;DVI, VGA, S-video and composite video support;AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi fast wireless networking and internal Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;Ethernet 10/100BASE-T and 56K V.92 modem;two USB 2.0 ports and Firewire 400; anda scrolling TrackPad.
Additional build-to-order options for the new PowerBook line include up to 1.25GB DDR RAM on the 12-inch model and up to 2GB on the 15- and 17-inch models, an 8X SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive, 128MB graphics memory with Dual Link DVIÂ*on the 1.67 GHz 15-inch (for enabling the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display as an external monitor), a 100GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive running at 5400 rpm on all models, AirPort Extreme or Express Base Station, Apple displays and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Comments
Okay, Apple... WTF is this?! Okay, they've met the *conservative* expectations of everyone, but anyway... With these machines they'll lose a lot of the money they made with the Mac mini etc. through further declining sales in the pro area...
- brighter keys
- 30" display support
- fiber optic digital audio i/o
- 3x Bluetooth speed
- 512 RAM in one DIMM
- 8x SuperDrive
- DVD+/-RW
- scrolling trackpad
- motion/drop sensor
- faster graphics
- higher rpm drives
- lower price!
That will just have to tide us over for a while... G5s just are not portable yet. That's life.
I wonder if the 12" screen quality has been brought up to the level of the 15"/17"?
Dual DVI on the 17", so it can drive the 30" monitor.
[and I predicted it, thank you very much!]
Who cares how fast they are, they are fast enough.
Except for the processor itself, which is out of Apple's hands (and besides is not that bad actually), the specs are quite good!! A very nice upgrade.
All models come with build-in bluetooth and airport-card, 512 MB RAM, very nice graphics cards and BTO options, 5400 rpm drives all over etc. etc.
Originally posted by AppleInsider
All new PowerBooks come standard with 512MB memory
!
My bank balance is sighing with relief though, as I'm currently pledged not to upgrade until either a G5 or dual-core G4 Powerbook is available - whenever that might be.
If I was not going to buy a dual G5 Power Mac for my work (when they get upgraded soon hopefully), I would seriously consider upgrading from my 1 GHz 15" TiBook to the new 1.67 GHz 15"
I can order the (17" + 30" monitor) for less money than the (15" + 30" monitor), because the 17" does not need to be BTO, so I can order it off Amazon with no sales tax.
Is the 17" too big to be useful/portable?
These notebooks really are competative with windows based laptops, both hardware wise, and for once cost.
If you look at Dell's 9200, and IBM's T series, which are probably the powerbook's competitors, they aren't all that hot. I'm stuck on this horrendous IBM T42 that cost about $2k (although I received mine subsidized), and for the money spent on this piece, a beautiful powerbook could have been purchased.
The g4 is fine for the powerbook. It blows the hats off the mobile centrion processor anyday. At around the $2k price range, 1.6gh chips are only being used. These chips have heat problems too.
Originally posted by concentricity
Maybe I'm just stupid...but how do these have "faster graphics"? The old ones had Mobility 9700 with 64MB too.
nope, you're not stupid. as mentioned, Apple has put in some excellent effort given limitations in CPU and GPU areas...
graphics have not been upgraded in the sense that the 12" and 15" and 17" are using the same GPUs, you can check the older powerbook specs on Apple Malaysia http://www.applemalaysia.com.my/powerbook/specs.html (hey, Malaysia's not that backwards, they'll be getting Mac minis in a few weeks time)
Yep, they just filled the slot as standard, not upgraded the on-board RAM.
I still want one....
Martin.
Originally posted by 1984
What is with Apple and typos lately? The specs page shows the 128MB graphics and dual-link DVI options as availble on both 15" models. The store shows no evidence of a 128MB option for the 1.5 15" model and dual-link DVI does not show up as an option for either 15" model. Better wait until Apple gets their facts straight before ordering. Sheesh.
I was able to configure a 15" with dual DVI - it is under "video memory", but only on the superdrive model.
Also, the 256+256 ram is only on the 12", the other two models have 2 DIMM slots that you can fill as you like
(no on-board ram).
With the exception of the FX5200, I has everything I want.
Wooot!!
You're supposed to be able to order an optional 80GB or 100GB drive, but the only options currently available using the online order form pop-up menu are for the default 60GB or 100GB, skipping the 80GB option that's mentioned even in the text directly below the pop-up menu.